Presentation Grant Winner: Celia Xavier Brings Toypurina Film

Toypurina: Woman Warrior (film in progress)

Native American Toypurina, from the Kizh Tribe is the first and only Native woman to lead a revolt in the history of California and America. The Kizh are the original, peaceful people of the Los Angeles basin plus the Sacred Sea of Kizh (including Catalina, San Nicholas Island, etc). The tribe is also known as the Gabrielenos. They were living in a Golden Age until the Spanish arrived to force their agrarian system and religion on the people, devastating the environment and the culture. This film aims to tell the story of Toypurina and the rich ecological heritage of the Kizh, now largely forgotten.

In telling the story of one particular Warrior Woman, we discuss the way women lived in harmony with the earth, and the fearlessness and injustices of indigenous women. This little-known story must be told, so women will be emboldened by this young, Native American named Toypurina: To know that a woman fought back for the injustices done to her people and land. To know that the Indigenous people lived in Los Angeles with harmony and great respect for the land, sea, and mountains. To know that our indigenous people’s lives were not in vain.

Celia Xavier (Salish, Athabaskan and Mayan ) is the CEO and Head of Original Programming at Tribal TV, a dedicated channel on Amazon Prime and Roku, and Founder and Executive Director of Tribal Film Festival in Tulsa, OKLA, whose mission is advocating a broader audience for Indigenous films.  She is also the owner of IndieIN films (Filmmaking with Intention) and a co-founder with Mary Aboud of a filmmaking bootcamp that “empowers, inspires, and sustains students to tell their digital stories.” Celia comes from the Big Island of Hawaii and resides in Los Angeles.